Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mud rings and more particularly pertains to a new Hinged Mud Ring Cover and Method of Use for providing a means of mounting a device to be installed on an intermediary plate to facilitate ease of wiring and provide additional safety for the device and the installer.
Description of the Prior Art
The use of mud rings is known in the prior art. More specifically, mud rings heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations. Illustrative examples of known prior art include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,325 issued to Filipov on Aug. 3, 1999;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,645,936 issued to Magno on Jan. 12, 2010;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,468,486 issued to Yan on Dec. 23, 2008;
US Patent No. D555, 108 issued to Strong on Nov. 13, 2007.
Each of these illustrative example of prior art provide basic mud ring functionality in providing an interface between electrical boxes, which are typically installed prior to the installation of wall surface materials, and the user interface portion of the device to be installed, such as an outlet, switch, sensor, or other similar device.
When working inside of an electrical box, on wiring or connections for example, it is difficult to complete that work with one hand while holding the device being connected to or mounted on the electrical box in the other hand.
Performing an installation of this nature with a standard mud-ring can be time consuming, inefficient or even unsafe. The device can be dropped connection wires can be damaged or the job may require an additional user to simply hold the device.
In these respects, the Hinged Mud Ring Cover and Method of Use according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing a hinged intermediate mounting surface on which a device may be installed prior to the device being wired in place.
Using the hinged mud-ring electrical box cover, the device is installed and is suspended by the electrical box allowing simultaneous access to the front and rear (wired end) of the device during completion of the installation set-up or wiring process. The user is also free to use both hands to complete the installation.